


It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

by wishdreamlovexx



Category: Hunger Games (2012) RPF
Genre: Adorable, Aww, Christmas, Cute, F/M, Friendship/Love, I hope you like it, Love, Love Confessions, Secret Crush, Snow, idk if this is good or not, kiss, present, throwing rocks at her window
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-15
Updated: 2013-12-15
Packaged: 2018-01-04 18:16:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1084149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wishdreamlovexx/pseuds/wishdreamlovexx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Christmas time and feelings are revealed under the snow.</p><p>Or two best friends secretly like each other, and they finally do something that changes that secret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Edwina](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Edwina).



> Hi, I just wrote this for my friend as a present. I hope you like it! It's really a cutesy fluff type of one shot and it was a joy to write.
> 
> Please give me feedback on this, I love to improve my writing skills!

          One person can really change your life forever. When you first meet someone, you don’t know whether they will be _that_ person. You don’t really know whether or not they will be a good influence on you, or if they’re not so nice. But once you figure all of that out, you’ll know who is worth keeping in your life. That’s how I feel; everything happens for a reason. I’ve had my fair share of people who stay in my life for a long time, as well as others who change once you think you know them. Maybe it’s those types of people, the ones who trick you, that make me who I am. I am guarded. It takes me a long time to trust someone enough to open up. And even then, I still get hurt.

          I should probably get to the point here. I met a boy, and he changed my life. I didn’t see it coming; it hit me and knocked me off of my feet. His name was Peeta. Peeta Mellark, to be exact. Peeta and I have been friends since as long as I can remember. We quickly became best friends, and seldom were we apart from each other. It didn’t start out as anything but a friendship. But years passed and I slowly started seeing Peeta in a different light. Little by little I fell for him, from the way his eyes shined to the way he walked.

          I had other friends, of course. But none of them were like _him._ I did everything with him next to me, and he was one of the few people who never left. I think I started falling for him when I was fourteen. There wasn’t a single moment I could really pick out that made me fall for him more than the rest. It just sort of happened. I wish I could use my own words to describe it, but John Green says it in a way I cannot, “I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.”

          I’m sixteen now, and I am utterly in love with my best friend, Peeta Mellark. In the small town I live in, snow is falling outside my window. Christmas is only a mere two days away, and I don’t go back to school until the new year. The moonlight makes the snow sparkle and appear prettier than it usually does.

          My mind is wandering, thoughts bouncing around my head faster than Santa on his sleigh. I skipped from the holidays to school projects, and finally stopped and thought about Peeta. I don’t try to think about him, but he is just so fascinating. He has blonde hair that usually falls over his forehead or is swept up with gel. He isn’t too tall or too short and has very defined muscles. He works at the bakery his parents own most of the time, and that is how he’s so strong. He’s also very artistic; he can draw and decorate cakes. If I had to pick one word to describe him, it would be perfection.

          My song notebook was opened to a clean page, waiting for words to be written. But nothing was coming to mind. Checking my phone, I saw I had no text messages. I eventually decided that I wasn’t going to come up with anything right now and put my notebook and pen in its safe spot in my room. Dressing in an old musical shirt and fluffy pajama pants, I crawled under the covers and listened to music until sleep took over me.

~~~

          I awoke to banging at my window. My eyes glanced over at the clock beside my bed. 2:04 A.M. Who in the world would bang at my window this late/early? I got up and moved to my window, realizing that whomever it was they were throwing rocks at my window. I slowly opened it as the brisk breeze drifted in my room. After pushing up the screen, I stuck my head out the window. Standing outside, surprisingly, was Peeta.

          “Peeta, what in the world are you doing here? It’s freezing outside!” I whisper-yelled.

          “I couldn’t sleep. Now meet me outside! I need to ask you something!”

          “Fine!” I told him before shutting my window.

          I grabbed a jacket and slipped on a pair of boots before slipping out of my room and down the stairs. Whatever he needs to ask me, it better be important. I’m probably going to get in trouble for sneaking out, but in that moment I didn’t care. I made sure my house key was in my pocket before slowly and quietly closing the front door. The snow had stopped falling, but the ground was still covered. It was a winter wonderland, for once.

          I made it to Peeta, who was standing near my mailbox, looking as flawless as ever. He smiled, his cheeks red. His gloved hand reached for my bare one and intertwined our fingers together. Although it didn’t show on the outside, I was as nervous as ever. I looked up into his eyes, and I couldn’t read them like I usually can. We stood at the end of my driveway, in the cold, and I was perfectly ok with that.

          “So Ella,” he started.

          “So Peeta,”

          “You’re probably wondering why I called you out here at 2 in the morning.”

          “Just a little,” I said, holding my pointer finger and thumb close together.

          He took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes before continuing. “I wanted to ask you this a while ago, but I was really nervous. And I still am really nervous, so I’m sorry but I just can’t help it when I’m around you. I mean, you’re you. I’m rambling aren’t I? Well,” he took another long breath. “Will you please go on a date with me?”

          Right then, everything in the world seemed right for once. I stood there in disbelief, wondering how one of my dreams came true. I guess I stood there too long because then Peeta said, “I screwed up, didn’t I? You probably don’t even like me like that. Sorry for wasting your time, I’ll be on my way now.”

          He started to walk away, but there was no way I would let him. “Peeta!” I shouted, not caring about the time.

          He turned around and looked at me. Very faintly, I could see tears pooling in his eyes. “It would be my honor to go on a date with you.”

          Peeta genuinely smiled a smile that was as big as his whole face. In the next second, his arms were wrapped around me in a hug. “Thank you,” he whispered.

          “No, thank _you_.”

~~~

          A loud ringing awoke me from my slumber. At least this time it was light out. Without checking the caller ID, I answered the phone. “Hello?”

          “Hiiii,” Peeta said into the receiver.

          “You really like waking me up, don’t you?”

          “What can I say, it’s a gift.”

          “Why are you calling me?”

          “I just wanted to wish you a merry Christmas Eve!”

          “Really, that’s it? You could have just texted me!”

          I could hear the smile in his voice. “I know. But it’s more meaningful this way.”

          How could Peeta be real? He’s so cute and, and perfect. “Well merry Christmas Eve to you too. I have to go get ready now, so I guess I’ll talk to you later.”

          “I definitely will. Bye, Ella.”

          “Bye Peeta.”

          I quickly showered and got ready for the Christmas Eve dinner with my entire family. I put on a red sweater and patterned leggings, along with a pair of black ankle boots. The snow from last night was still stuck to the grass, but gone from the road and driveway. I guess my dad or brother shoveled this morning. To be utterly and completely honest, the day passed by in a blur of relatives, food, and presents. It’s the same as it is every year; we go to our grandparents’ house for Christmas Eve dinner, open a few presents from them, talk to a bunch of people we’re somehow related to that we only see once a year, and most of the adults get drunk in the kitchen. It gets a little old after a while.

          I spent the majority of the night thinking of him. I don’t understand how he always manages to be there, every day, every hour, and every minute. I try to distract myself by playing with my younger cousins or helping out in the kitchen, but he just comes back twice as strong as before.

          On the long car ride home, I almost fell asleep on numerous occasions. I did end up falling asleep in the end, but not before I received a certain text. My phone, which was sitting on my lap, buzzed as the screen came to life. _1 new message from Peeta._

Peeta: I hope u had a festive Xmas Eve and merry early Xmas! :) x

          Thank goodness it was dark, because I would have looked like an idiot smiling at my phone. I read and reread that text so many times that it’s imprinted in my memory. I think it’s safe to say I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

~~~

          “IT’S CHRISTMAS!!” I heard my brother yell, awaking me from my sleep. Slowly I got up out of bed and fixed my hair in the mirror before walking downstairs. My brother was sat on the floor next to the tree, somehow patiently waiting for me. My parents sat side by side on the couch, each holding a mug. We found our presents from under the tree and opened them, like any other year. I grabbed the ripped up wrapping paper and threw it away, stopping to look out the window. Snow was falling in little flurries. Finally, we had a white Christmas.

          Still in my pajamas, I had a giant breakfast consisting of pancakes and tea. It was nice and calm this Christmas, unlike any other year. My brother was already upstairs playing one of his new games, and my parents were watching a Christmas movie in the family room. I cleaned my plate and sat in the recliner, sipping my tea and admiring the falling snow. At least, I was until the doorbell rang. I placed my mug of tea on the coffee table and quickly walked over to open it.

          It was Peeta. Wearing black jeans, his shoes that he wears only on special occasions, a large coat, and a red scarf, he embodied perfection in a person. “Merry Christmas!” he said.

          I ushered him inside out of the snow before saying, “Merry Christmas to you too. What are you doing here? You could have just called!”

          “I wanted to ask you something in person,” his cheeks were rosy red, and I didn’t know whether he was blushing or they were like that from the cold.

          I nodded to him. “Go on.”

          He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Would you like to go on a date with me, today?”

          My face was probably a look of confusion before it lit up like a Christmas tree. “I would love to.”

          “Really?!”

          “Yes, really,” I laughed.

          “Ok, I’ll be back at three to pick you up.”

          “Can’t wait.”

          I closed the door after Peeta left and slid down it. This Christmas was the best one I’ve had by far. I raced up to my room and checked the time. It was already 12 o’clock! I must’ve stood outside my closet for a while. Not knowing what to wear. He didn’t tell me where we were going or what we were doing. So I decided to call him. He picked up on the first ring. “Yes, Ella?”

          I rolled my eyes, though he couldn’t see me. “What are we doing on this date? I want to make sure I dress for it.”

          He chuckled. “Whatever you wear should be fine, just don’t wear a skirt or dress. Oh, and make sure you dress warmly.”

          “Ok, thanks Peeta. See you later.”

          “Bye Ella.”

          I hung up with Peeta and called another close friend, Megan, on Facetime. “Hey Edwina! What’s up?”

          I explained as fast as I could what happened in the last three days, from Peeta throwing rocks at my window to him coming to my door this morning.

          “Oh my gosh I’m so happy for you! You go get In the shower, I’ll be over in an hour to help you get ready, ok?”

          “Ok. Thanks Megan, you’re the best!”

          She shrugged, smiling. “I try. See ya.”

          “Bye.”

          I placed my iPod and phone on their chargers and practically ran down the hall to the bathroom. I locked the door and hopped into the shower, the hot water relaxing my muscles. I washed my hair and body quickly before turning off the water and stepping out. The heat was on as I wrapped myself in a fluffy towel. Using a smaller towel, I dried my hair and brushed through the knots. I also put in my contacts. I changed into an oversized t-shirt and sweatpants for the time being before padding back to my bedroom, which Megan was waiting outside of.

          “Merry Christmas!” she greeted along with a hug.

          “Merry Christmas! Thanks for coming over, you know you didn’t have to.”

          “I know, but I wanted to. I know how much you like Peeta. Now, where did he say you were going?” she asked while opening my door.

          “He idnd’t say specifically, but he said not to wear a dress or skirt and to dress warm.”

          “Hmm, ok so it’s a mystery. Well I think it’s probably going to be partly outside and more of a casual-ish date but still a teeny bit fancy, if that even makes sense.”

          “Ok… so what should I wear?”

          “I think I know just the outfit!” she opened my closet and pulled out a cream sweater with a tribal pattern, light wash jeans with a few rips in them, and black combat boots.

          “Try this on,” Megan said, passing me the clothes. “Call me in when you’ve changed.”

          I got dressed and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I really, really liked this outfit. “You can come in!” I shouted through the door.

          Megan walked in and stared at my outfit. “I love it!”

          “Me too. And I was thinking I could wear this jacket,” I held out a light brown jacket with a fur hood. “And I could wear this black scarf and these gloves,” I held these out as well.

          “That’s perfect! Ok, put… these earrings in then I’ll do your hair,” she handed me a pair of black rose stud earrings.

          I put the earrings in my ears then sat down on my spinning chair, allowing Megan to do my hair. She brushed it out, I now that much, but after that I wasn’t quite sure what she was doing. I couldn’t even see what she was doing because I was turned away from the mirror. So I sat there quietly playing with random things I found on my desk. About ten minutes later, Megan said, “Finished!” and handed me a smaller mirror.

          I saw the back of my head, where the hair was braided upward. Then, it was pulled into a bun. The bun was not too messy nor too fancy; it was perfect. “Woah,” I breathed.

          “Do you like it?”

          “I love it! Thank you so much!”

          “No problem! Now let me do your make-up!”

          This time, I could still see myself and everything Megan was doing. I watched her apply and mix different neutral colors of eye shadow while I could. Then, she steadily drew a line of eyeliner around my eyes. I didn’t know how she did that. Lastly was the mascara to make my eyes pop. She then gave me a light pink lip gloss to put on, and I was done.

To be completely honest, I was really impressed by everything Megan did today. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to do this on my own. I didn’t expect her to drop whatever she was doing to help me. I guess that’s how you know you have a true friend. “Thank you so much Megan! I couldn’t have done this without you.”

          “You’re welcome El. It was my pleasure. Now, go get your man! Be yourself and everything will be fine. Peeta is a nice guy.”

          I smiled and gave my best friend a long hug. I was so worried about getting ready that I hadn’t had that much time to recognize my nerves building. “Thank you so much.”

          We heard the doorbell ring. I turned to my clock; it was three already. I released Megan and put on my scarf and gloves, threw my jacket over my shoulders, and put my phone and lip gloss in my phone case. Megan smiled at me before wlaking downstairs before me. I sneakily watched her slip past Peeta and my parents out to her car. Then I heard my parents, mostly my father, interrogating Peeta and his “intentions.”

          “What time do you plan to have her back by?”

          “Ten at the latest, Sir.”

          “And you promise never to hurt my daughter?”

          “I would never in a million years hurt Ella. I really, really, like her. I have for a long time.”

          “Ok, I know you’re a good guy Peeta. Just please be careful with her.”

          “I will, sir.”

          “Call me Ed.”

          I heard them laughing, and I decided then to walk downstairs. I pushed my nerves and doubts to the far corners of my mind and slowly made my way down the stairs. Their conversation stopped, and all eyes were on me. When I saw Peeta, my heart skipped a beat and I smiled. He wore a pair of dark jeans, a white v-neck under an unbuttoned red and blue flannel shirt, a vest over top, and a pair of black boots. His hair was styled up, and he was smiling and staring at me. “Ella, you look beautiful,” he said breathlessly.

          “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

          “Ready?”

          I nodded. He grabbed my hand as I waved to my parents with the other. It was still slippery and lightly snowing. He opened the car door for me, and I thanked him before he ran around the car. He cranked the heat and pulled out of the driveway. His hand rested in the middle territory in the car. Hesitantly, I took his in mine. I saw him smile out of the corner of my eye before I started to speak.

          “Where are we going?”

          “It’s a surprise.”

          I groaned. “But I want to know _now_.”

          He laughed at my expense. “That’s not very nice, Peeta.”

          “I’m sorry. You only have to wait a little bit longer.”

          “Ok fine.”

          We sat in comfortable silence as we drove across town. I stared out the window in awe at the snow and Christmas decorations. Around fifteen minutes later we pulled into a parking lot. Peeta cut the ignition and ran around the car to open my door. I thanked him as I got out and held his hand. I then realized where we were. “You’re taking me ice skating?”

          “Yes!”

          “But I can’t ice skate!”

          “Neither can I, but I thought it would be fun!”

          I laughed as we made our way inside. The rink was deserted. We got our skates and laced them up. “Why isn’t there anyone here?”

          “Well, it is Christmas, and I may have rented it out?”

          “What?! Peeta, you didn’t have to do that!”

          “But I wanted to,” he grabbed my hand and entwined our fingers. “I wanted today to be perfect.”

          “It would have been perfect either way. Now c’mon, let’s go try to skate.”

          I pull him with me towards the ice rink. I knew this would not end well. I took a step onto the ice, grabbing the wall to stay standing. Once I was steady, I turned back to see Peeta also clinging to the wall looking like he would fall down any moment. I suppressed a laugh and kept slowly making my way around the rink. Once I got all the way around with the wall, I tried to skate without it. I actually did a whole lot better than I thought I would. Peeta, on the other hand, was slipping and falling behind me.

          I skated over to Peeta, offering him a hand. He took it gratefully, and I helped him skate around the empty rink. It was so peaceful, so calm. He kept getting better and better until we were both skating, fingers intertwined. It felt as though we spent hours skating with the music playing faintly in the background. Around five, we walked off the rink and put our boots back on. We walked out of the ice skating rink, and snow was coming down in soft flurries. Once we got to his car, he opened the door for me as I got in, thanking him. I didn’t know where we were going next, but I hoped it wasn’t home.

          He ran around the car and sat down, turning on the car and heat. His hand he wasn’t going to drive with was resting in the middle territory between our seats. I reached out and grabbed it, and I swear out of the corner of my eye I saw Peeta instantly smile. We drove around town, making small talk as we reached our destination. We pulled into the parking lot that I knew for a fact was Olive Garden. We got out, hands intertwined, and made our way inside. Peeta made his way to the hostess station and said, “Reservations for Mellark.”

          “Of course., you called yesterday. I’ll lead you to your table,” the hostess said, grabbing two menus and silverware before leading us off to some part of the restaurant.

          Our table was right by a window where you could see the snow falling, and it was decorated with little lights. Peeta pulled out my chair for me, and I thanked him once again. He sat down across from me, smiling. “A waiter will be with you shortly,” she said before walking away.

          “This is perfect,” I said, wonderstruck.

          “Anything for a perfect girl.”

          “Cheesy. And I’m far from perfect.”

          “Don’t say that. You _are_ perfect, Ella, in every way possible. Have I ever lied to you?”

          “Well…” I cut myself off. I really couldn’t think of a time he lied to me, at least a serious one.

          “Exactly. Now stop telling yourself you’re not. And please don’t tell me people have told you you’re not perfect, because that’s a load of crap.”

          I felt my cheeks getting hot. “Ok.”

          Thankfully, a waitress who must’ve been in her 30’s came up to our table. “Hi, I’m Gina and I’ll be your waitress this evening. Can I start you off with something to drink?”

          “I’ll have a water, please,” I told her.

          “Make that two.”

          “Ok, I’ll be back soon to take your food order,” she said before walking off towards the kitchen.

          We both opened our menus and tried to decide what to eat. There were so many great things to order it was hard to choose. “Do you know what you’re getting yet?” I asked Peeta.

          “Yup,” he said, putting down his menu as I looked up from mine.

          “How? There’s so many things to get!”

          He shrugged. “I like to get the same thing almost every time.”

          I stared at him. “I don’t understand how.”

          He laughed. “Don’t you laugh at me!”

          “I can’t help it. You looked adorable.”

          I looked down. Once again, the waitress saved me. “Do you guys know what you want to order?”

          I nodded. “Could I have the chicken parmigiana and a house salad, please?

          “Of course. And for you, sir?”

          “I’ll have the tour of Italy and also a house salad.”

          “Ok. I’ll take your menus and I’ll be back with your food when it’s ready.”

          Peeta and I made small conversation, laughing and stealing glances at each other while we thought the other wasn’t looking. Twenty minutes later our food arrived and we didn’t hesitate to dig in. Ice skating really made one hungry. It was all really good, and I really just enjoyed spending time with Peeta. We didn’t have to talk or even really be doing anything; being in his presence was enough. As we finished dinner, the sun went down and the stars shined down through the light, but unrelenting snow.

          Peeta stood up, and I followed suit as we paid for dinner and made our way to the car once again. Actually, he paid and refused to accept any of my money. We both got in the car, shivering. We drove off again to a destination I didn’t know. There was two things I was certain of: I never want this night to end, and I am hopelessly in love with Peeta Mellark.

          He pulled into the parking lot by the park. “What are we doing at the park when it’s snowing?”

          “I have one last surprise for you. You’ll love it, I promise!”

          He got out and opened my door (again) and we walked hand in hand down a path we were both familiar with. But what was not so familiar were the Christmas lights lighting the sides of the path. I looked over at him, and he was smiling. I rested my head against him, and he put an arm around my waist, pulling me into the side of his warm body. He smelled of a scent I can’t describe besides _Peeta._ He stopped us when we reached a gazebo, which was covered in lights and (fake) roses. I looked at him incredulously. “Did you do this?” I asked breathlessly.

          “Yes, I did. I told you I wanted it to be perfect.”

          “Well you succeeded.”

          Peeta led me under the gazebo so we were standing across from each other, only a few inches between us. We smiled at each other, though I could see behind his smile he was nervous. I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, and he didn’t hesitate in speaking now.

          “Ella, I’m really glad you’re my friend. You’re there for me when no one else is. But, I’ve realized something. And I know you might not feel the same way, but please just listen. I really like you. And not as just a friend, as more. And I have for a while now; I just didn’t realize it.”

          I couldn’t move, I couldn’t think. Everything for once was right in the world. The feeling of having the person you like, like you back. A smile overtook my face with no sign of going away any time soon. “It’s a good thing I really like you too.”

          He pulled me closer until there was no space between us. “Really?”

          I looked up at him. “Really.”

          His eyes flicked down to my lips, then back to my eyes. “So you wouldn’t mind if I did this?”

          He closed the minimal gap between us and kissed me. It was light and sweet, and perfect. He was perfect. We pulled away and put our foreheads together.

          “Will you please be my girlfriend, Ella?”

          “I thought you’d never ask,” I said, then kissed him again.


End file.
